Kara Montgomery

What is the most rewarding part of your job? 
Homecoming—watching all those return to enjoy the campus and classmates they know and love! In my former roles, I also loved working with our Student Alumni Association and young alumni because their school pride and enthusiasm was infectious!

What types of recognition, awards, honors or activities have you been involved in? 

I have
· presented at both CASE (http://www.case.org/) and CAMMP (http://cammp.org/) national conferences
· Developed programming which resulted in 150% growth of student and alumni engagement with the Alumni Association within 1 yr.
- Worked with Vice President Biden’s Advance Team to coordinate student involvement during a campus visit
· Instituted online giving for the Student Alumni Association at Pitt
· Organized the first four-school-sponsored alumni engagement event for the Pitt Alumni Association
· Developed process for updating new graduates’ contact information in the Advance database, leading to over 3,000 new e-mail addresses per graduation year; this data is also now utilized by our Student Affairs and Career Services departments
· Drafted and distributed the first full-scale e-newsletter for the Westminster College Alumni Association
· Instituted the first undergraduate giving program at Pitt, resulting in the installation of a permanent stained-glass window to commemorate the University’s 225th birthday

How did your experience at Slippery Rock University help you find your first position after graduation?
A friend of mine who I went to college with while at SRU was working at Ellwood City School District (as a result of our student teaching)—after graduation she had a full time job there and would let me know of openings when they came up. As a result, I secured my long-term subbing position there as a result of this relationship. Additionally, the portfolio I created while in college left an impressive mark at my interview. Lastly, the hands-on experience I had teaching while at SRU was so much more relevant and useful than that of my peers who attended other institutions that did not require as much in-classroom time.

What is your advice for future graduates?
Don’t resist new opportunities and paths. You may have a set plan in your head but life doesn’t always turn out that way. It’s okay and actually better to investigate new directions as they present themselves. Some will serve as the pathway to your future—a future you never knew was out there! I did not know I would work in Higher Education when I first started college—in fact, I didn’t even know that was an option. As a result of the relationships I made and the opportunities I took advantage of I’ve ended up in my long-term career and couldn’t be happier!

Lauren Yost

What year did you graduate from SRU and what was your major?

- I graduated from Slippery Rock University in May 2014. I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education (Pre-K-4) & Special Education (K-8). I am now completing my Master’s Degree at Slippery Rock University in Special Education with an emphasis in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

What jobs have you landed?

-Immediately following graduation, I was hired at Crawford Central School District in Pennsylvania at age 22. This is now my second year as an 5th & 6th grade Autistic Support Teacher there.

How did you prepare for the interview for the job you landed?

-To prepare for my first round interview, I did a lot of mock interviewing. I would practice introducing myself properly, answering top interview questions, and stating the information I knew about current Special Education laws/regulations. The more comfortable you are with the information- the better your interview will go. I also became familiar with the districts information and got to know exactly what they stand for as a district and community.

Then to prepare for my second round interview, I taught a mathematics lesson incorporating literacy. I made sure that my lesson plans were detailed, the lesson could reach all different types of learners, and I used differentiated instruction. Since I did not exactly know my audience, it was important to be able to adjust my lesson throughout the course of it if I needed to. That is also an important thing when you land a teaching job!

What have you done well at that job?

-I cannot say what I have done “well”- although there are things that I am proud of. I am proud of how far my students have come in the past 2 years. They all work so hard- maybe just in different ways. I am pleased with the progress my students and I have made. One of my favorite moments was realizing that all my students have doubled their reading fluency since the beginning of the year. Proud moment for all of us!

Additionally, I have gotten positive feedback from both administrators and parents.

What types of recognition, awards, honors or even activities have you been involved in?

-I am part of the Autism Program in my particular elementary school. Together we have worked on creating therapeutic yoga, swimming, therapy dogs, and modified women’s services programs for our students in the program over the years. I am also entered into the SRU’s Student Symposium Program for my studies of students with Autism, specifically studying effective coping techniques.

What SRU experience or faculty influenced you and in what way?

-I really enjoyed my SRU experience in becoming an educator. I was involved in three honor societies. In these, I did a lot of volunteering and also got special access to trainings and information for my future career. These definitely helped me compile a solid resume.

Although, I believe that student teaching taught me the most valuable information. It gave me the experience I needed- at times you’re all on your own! This experience allowed me to be creative in my lessons and let me try out some of my different ideas! It is a great time in your life to experience and learn! It also allowed me to see the differences in general education and special education.

What else can you tell us about your success story that SRU students could learn from?

-The main thing I would tell SRU students would be is to take this time in your lives seriously. You are paving the way right now to your future. You have chosen a path that is so admirable and important. In a few short years, you will then have the opportunity and power to make a difference every day in a child’s life- that is a gift that not everyone has thrust upon them. I am often asked why I have become a teacher. The only answer I can give is this, “I chose to become a teacher because it is simply the only way I know that I can change the world for the better”. The world needs passionate and beautiful teachers- be the change.

John Bechtol

While I did my student teaching (Sec. Ed. English) in my senior year and while I had been offered a contract to teach in the New Castle School District, I accepted a position with the predecessor of Rockwell International as a human resources manager at one of their manufacturing plants in New Castle (I had worked for that company during summer breaks). I worked there from 1969 to 1972. In 1972 I was offered a labor relations position at the Granite City Steel Division of National Steel and I moved to St. Louis to accept that position. I worked there for two years and in 1974 accepted the position of Director of Industrial Relations with The Levinson Steel Company in Pittsburgh. I worked there from 1974 to 1979 and during the last four years of my employment with Levinson, I attended Duquesne University Law School. In 1979, I joined Reed Smith Shaw and McClay in Pittsburgh and became a partner in 1988. I left Reed Smith in January of 1992 to form my own firm which I managed until February of 2008 when I joined the Metz Lewis firm in Pittsburgh. I am still actively practicing law and during my entire legal career have practiced management-side employment and labor law.

In terms of my job, it has been rewarding to have done my best to keep my clients in business and to have helped them steer clear of legal problems vis-à-vis their employees.

For the last several years I have been recognized and identified as one of the Best Lawyers in America as well as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer. On my avocational side, I have won or have taken podia in a number of vintage sports cars races (I have raced open wheel formula cars and presently race a 1972 Porsche – my wife races as well, presently racing an Alfa Romeo). I have also been recognized for my work with the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix where I am currently the Chair of the Competition Committee and the Competition Director of the PVGP’s Schenley Park race. I also serve on the national Vintage Motorsports Council. In whatever spare time is left, I instruct in several high performance driving programs and enjoy travel, sailing, and spending time with my family (my daughter, her husband, and my granddaughter live in Mt. Lebanon, PA). 

I believe that my ability to communicate which was honed by my experiences at SRU has contributed greatly to my success in the law and in my recreational activities.

To future grads, be a value-added person. Make things or do things to help in some fashion. Don’t go to law school, there are too many of us and in many cases we just make life a bit more difficult than needs be.

Jeffrey Hartmann

What has your career path been like?
I started as a social studies teacher in Southern Maryland and spent two years learning much as a first-year teacher. Like most Pennsylvanians, I returned home to teach at Seneca Valley and stayed there for five years. Realizing opportunities existed elsewhere, I then moved to Williamsport, PA, to become an assistant principal. Two years later I became the high school principal in Philipsburg, PA, and then Pottstown, PA. Now a high school principal in Stow, Ohio, my school is the largest school in Summit County, OH, and one of the highest performing schools in the region.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Seeing adults, kids, and communities grow and develop in practice and mindset.

What types of recognition, awards, honors or activities have you been involved in? 
The schools I have led have received recognition by U.S. News and World Report at Bronze and Silver Medal levels, AP Honor Roll recognition, and Newsweek Best High School recognition.

How did your experience at Slippery Rock University help you find your first position after graduation?
Seeing SRU on a resume and transcript makes candidates stand out.

What is your advice for future graduates?
Move! Opportunities await SRU graduates across the country and across the Commonwealth. Do not allow yourself to be anchored in a particular geographic area. Pursue your passions no matter where they literally or figuratively take you.

James Zarick

What has your career path been like?
It has been almost thirty five years since I first graduated from Slippery Rock State College with my BS so to say that my career path has taken some twists and turns over the years would be an understatement. As a member of the undergraduate class of May 1981 I found the job market at that time to be not that dissimilar to today’s job market. Teaching jobs were hard to come by.
I landed my first teaching job in October of 1981, two months after the school year had begun. I taught and coached at Hampton Township HS in Allison Park, PA for two years before losing my job to budget cuts. From there I worked as an Aquatic Director at the Lancaster YMCA for one year, while still looking for a teaching job. I did finally find a teaching and coaching job at Cathedral Prep in Erie, PA. I taught and coached there for three years while continuing to work on my MS. I graduate from Slippery Rock University with an MS in December 1985. That advanced degree allowed me to pursue a wider variety of career options.
In August of 1987 I became the resident exercise physiologist at the Guilford Tech Wellness Center in Jamestown, NC. I stayed at this position for almost 14 years. During my final 4 years at Guilford Tech I studied at the United States Sports Academy in a doctoral program. I graduated with an Ed.D in July of 2000. Once again this advanced degree allowed me to pursue an even wider variety of career options.
In August of 2001 I became the director of the undergraduate program in Sport Management at High Point University in High Point, NC. About a year later I also became the director of the graduate program in Sports Studies. I stayed at High Point University for about eight and one half years until January of 2010. It was at that time that I decided to slow down just a bit and took a teaching job with no administrative responsibilities at Forsyth Tech Community College in Winston-Salem, NC.
I have been teaching at Forsyth Tech for almost six years now and I expect to be teaching there for at least 4 more. I anticipate that when I retire from education it will be from Forsyth Tech.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Over the years I have held a variety of positions and each one of them has been satisfying in its own unique way. In my current position I am teaching community college students. For the most part these are adults who are trying to make their lives better by becoming more educated. It is a sincere pleasure to know that I am making a difference in the quality of someone’s life.

What types of recognition, awards, honors or activities have you been involved in?
While at Slippery Rock as an undergrad I was a swimmer and made NCAA All America in 1979. After graduating I continued to stay athletically active and pursue new interests. I have since run 26 marathons and hundreds of triathlons including three Ironman races. I qualified for the Boston Marathon about a dozen times, but competed in it only 4 times. Each of the four times that I competed I finished in the top 5% of the field.
As a coach I have had multiple winning seasons in a variety of sports. These sports have included swimming, diving, water polo, track and field, cross country and lacrosse. Probably my most impressive coaching feat on paper occurred in my last five years of coaching track. In a five year period I had ten athletes who were state champions.

How did your experience at Slippery Rock University help you find your first position after graduation?
Slippery Rock provided a wide range of both social and professional opportunities and I took advantage of them. It was only after graduation and spending some time in the real world that I discovered how important those social opportunities were. To over simplify the state of today’s job market I would have to say that who you know is equally important to what you know. Take advantage of both professional and social occasions to expand your ever growing network. Slippery Rock provides those types of opportunities, however, it is up to you to be active and take advantage of as many as you can. Forget about trying to prove to everyone that you can get that first job all on your own. Take advantage of whatever help anyone has to offer. My first several jobs came as a direct result of the network that I began building at Slippery Rock.

What is your advice for future graduates?
I have three very specific pieces of advice for future graduates:
1. Be VERY VERY careful what you post on social media. It WILL come back to haunt you eventually.
2. NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK
3. Follow your passion and your dream until YOU are satisfied.

James Thorne

I returned from Korea to begin my education at Slippery Rock in 1955.
I graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. Degree in Social Science and Biology. I taught in secondary education.
I returned to Slippery Rock for a Master's Degree in Economics. Later I obtained an equivilant Master's Degree in Guidance and Counseling....
I received a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in Secondary Education and Administration.
I served as Chairman of the Education Department for most of my 18 years at Grove City College and Registrar for some of the time.
In total I spent 37 and 1/2 years in education as as result of my experience at Slippery Rock.
There is an award that is presented each year to education students at Grove City College called The James D. Thorne Education Award. It was generated by the students at the College when I retired. The award is given to a student in education who has demonstrated excellence in academics and service in Christian activities.
Oh yes, I was on the tennis team and have a letter.
There is no way I can express the feeling I have for the educational provided at Slippery Rock what has been accomplished as a result.